The Blog of Todd Green

With the girls by Lake Huron 

posted by Todd @ 10:20 PM

We made it to our vacation destination. Cassidy is wired. Madison is excited and she has no clue why other than everything is different. It took us 11 hours to make a 9 hour trip. Part of that was traveling with an infant, part of it was serious traffic tie-ups. We are unwinding quite nicely.

posted by Todd @ 10:06 PM

posted by Todd @ 9:59 PM

We are heading out for vacation in the morning, taking a much needed break from the grind. This will be the first vacation taken with our youngest child (who is trying her best to learn to crawl).
So, I am sitting at my desk trying to tie up loose ends, trying to anticipate every conceivable scenario where my anticipated input would be required. Projects that need some guidance, details ironed-out, phone calls to be made.
Which, believe it or not, really got me thinking. Why can't I be this productive every week? Why aren't vacations more of a priority in our lives? What is so evil about "down-time" that church leadership loves to shy away from it? I know there is a guilt factor involved - "Here I am sleeping late, swimming in the pool and lazing around while the rest of the world is on their way to hell."
But the truth of the matter is even Jesus had to separate himself from the multitudes.
It is just a thought.

posted by Todd @ 11:26 AM

I had to go to the travel clinic yesterday and get a yellow-fever shot for the Uganda trip.
When I walked into the doctor's office for the initial consultation he asked me, "Where are you going?" "Uganda," I answered. "How is your health?" he asked. "Pretty good," I replied. "Well you know that is a very dangerous part of the world as far as health is concerned."

Oh, really?

He started telling me what and what not to eat. No thin skinned fruits (cherries, apples etc), no vegetables, no water (unless it is bottled), no meat unless it is FULLY cooked. On and on he went. I had visions of being shipped home in a body bag.

Seriously, I was really glad he told me all of that. I am considering purchasing a 50 gallon drum of peanut butter from the warehouse club and checking that as baggage along with a ten pound slab of beef jerkey.

I have a feeling that I am about to receive the education of a lifetime.

posted by Todd @ 11:49 AM

There is an incredible urge in the human spirit to preserve. To gather evidence. To keep memories alive. 

I guess there is no greater example of this in my life than little knick-knacks and hand-me-downs of my mother, that I received after she passed away. I have a set of dishes in my hutch that used to belong to my grandmother. I am not even sure she ever used them. But when I look at them, I have to think of her.

I was pondering this whole subject after I went out with my daughters on a "daddy-daughters" day. My 8 year old girl lets me know that she has a definite interest in scrapbooking, and all she needs is the tools to get going. Like me, she can be pretty obsessive when she gets going. And on our special day she was definitely on a mission.

When we walked into the local major-chain-craft-store, I was amazed at the scrapbooking section. I didn't even know that scrapbooking had a section. Scrapbooking has become a rage. Special markers of every color, stickers of every theme imaginable, special utensils for every conceivable scenario scrapbook related. There are classes on how to get started. Books for sale full of scrapbooking ideas. Everything acid-free.

I was a little dazed and confused after the whole ordeal.

We walked out after buying a starter kit, but she told me, "we're not done." There is more stuff to get. I guess we will probably be going back to some craft store tomorrow.

Last night she opened her book to proudly show me her completed pages. Page after page of photos of her and her friends. Pages of creative hand lettering filling the empty spaces with running commentary of her peculiar memory of that event or time.  On those pages are memories that for her will last a lifetime (at least it should - it is acid-free don't you know).

When I finished flipping through the pages, I closed the book and made a silent resolution with myself: I am going to be on as many of those pages as I possibly can.

posted by Todd @ 4:53 PM